There has been a similar (though less dramatic) decline in the moose population in New Hampshire, the result of a huge increase in ticks. Thousands feed on a single moose, weakening them and making the animal more susceptible to predators, or death from other illnesses.
Hmmm...never had this problem when you could use DDT. After this brutally cold winter, a good application of insecticide would put quite a dent in the tick problem. Fewer ticks = more moose, at least in New Hampshire.
During my Air Force days, I had friends stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine. The base was a SAC installation, it was a good location for B-52s and KC-135s because it put them a little closer to the Soviet Union.
There were moose on Loring, and some of them liked to wander out on the runway. I’m told there were more than a few close calls between a 1,500 pound moose and a B-52 lumbering down the runway. The moose would sit there, chewing its cud and watch the approaching Buff before strolling off at the last possible moment.
They didn’t have FENCES?..................